The Shadows We Make - Shadow Journey Series Book One

by Jo Allen Ash

Overview

A beautifully crafted SF dystopia, boasting relatable characters and a skillful plot..." BookLife Reviews

A desert warrior, a con-artist, and a promise. Destiny.

Grace Irese, a headstrong, sixteen-year-old desert warrior, has crossed the wrong man. In a world being violently ripped apart by his ambitions, the new Revered dictates everything, including the price Grace will pay for her infraction. Torn from family and home, she is remanded to an off-world juvenile facility called the Emerald. Her sentence? Life.

Duncan Oaks, wise-cracking, teenage con-artist, has done the unthinkable, something which shames him to the core. He, too, has been sentenced with cruel intention by the Revered to life imprisonment on the Emerald. Duncan finds himself facing the mortifying truth of his actions every day, with no hope he can be redeemed.

But Grace is not one to give up. Neither is Duncan. Together, they embark on a hazardous journey no one has ever before attempted. More than their own freedom, they seek to save a young, gifted child from the Revered's control. Their best hope is a promise. Because a warrior's promise is everything, even to the boy who betrayed her.

Prepare yourself for a seamless, heart-pounding blend of dark fantasy and science fiction as you join Grace, Duncan and their companions on an epic journey guaranteed to test their courage, their resolve, and ultimately their belief in themselves and each other.

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The Shadow Journey series is a compelling young adult, sci-fi/dark fantasy blend with significant crossover appeal. A book and series to be enjoyed by mature readers of any age.

Other books in the Shadow Journey series:

 

The Thrice-Gifted Child, Book Two - "...a page turner...intricate...gripping...doesn't allow your attention to waver for a single moment." Readers Favorite

 

The Sleeping Myth, Book Three - "...stellar storytelling...The Sleeping Myth is dazzlingly magical, inventive, and thrilling..." Book Commentary 

 

In Darkness We Break, Book Four - "...a startling and action-packed conclusion to an exciting series...Ash's character development is exceptional...." Readers Favorite

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734541953
Publisher:	Potter Street Books
Publication date:	07/15/2022
Series:	Shadow Journey Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	294
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2022

Blending SF, the fantastical, and the apocalyptic, Ash’s debut is jam packed with striking details that will delight fans of dystopian adventure. Living in the desert, just outside of a large city government named Citadel, sixteen-year-old Grace is trained as a warrior of the Irese tribe. She’s always on alert for trouble. It eventually finds her in the form of Stone Tiran, an arrogant upstart who demands a bonding–and whom she rejects. Soon Grace discovers that Stone wields more influence than she could have imagined, and for her disloyalty he sentences her to death by banishing her to their planet Talia’s mostly uninhabited moon, Emerald, which doubles as an inescapable penal colony.

Because of Grace’s age, she’s housed in the juvenile section of Emerald, along with several other inmates. Determined to get back to her family and save them from Stone’s wrath, Grace must make the decision to trust her fellow convicts–or die alone. Ash freshens up the Lord of the Flies vibe, and the steady, slow-building pace allows information and action to be doled out at a rate that will leave readers eagerly flipping to the next page. Grace’s budding relationships with the other prisoners add a layer of nuance that rapidly develops the characters into dynamic entities, particularly Duncan Oaks, adding just the right amount of sweetness to counterbalance the story’s darker themes of addiction, death, and hopelessness.

The intricate worldbuilding and deliciously complex characters shine, though at times some of the story’s horror aspects would benefit from greater clarity. Stone’s place in the larger cosmology also raises some questions that Ash leaves unanswered. Yet overall, this beautifully crafted novel’s enticing premise and creative blend of familiar elements with welcome surprises will appeal to readers of all ages–especially those interested in themes of isolation, belonging, and duty.

Takeaway: A beautifully crafted SF dystopia, boasting relatable characters and a skillful plot.

Great for fans of: Tara Brown’s Born, Bella Forrest’s The Girl Who Dared to Think.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews